CD
Review
Messenger
Man
Willi Williams
Download Messenger Man on your Ipod
Buy Messenger Man Now at Amazon
Reviewed By Jon Shaw
for the Reggae Movement.
Jon Shaw appears
regularly on Reggae Bloodlines Radio Show in Colorado :
Saturdays 1-4pm KGNU 1390Denver, 88.5Boulder
When Willi Williams says he has got to get his message to you, he is
spreading the word of Jah through a musical masterpiece. Messenger Man
presents a platform for Williams to spread his gospel to all who will
listen. This Blood & Fire release brings a timeless roots reggae
album originally released in 1980 to our contemporary world, and the
message is as pertinent as ever. Those who have ears to hear must
give this one a spin.
You may know Willi Williams from the classic track Armagideon
Time (A lot of people won’t get no supper tonight…). His smooth,
relaxed voice is a pleasure to listen to and pulls you into the
music. His musical history is impressive, as he began recording for
Coxsone Dodd at Studio One in the 1960s. Willi also went to school
with Sly Dunbar and they often practiced songs together. Williams
began producing songs on his own label, Soul Sounds and played his
tunes on Tippertone Hi-Fi in Jamaica.
Willi has been an integral part of many musical collaborations
over the years, and Jackie Mitoo may be the most frequent. Mittoo’s
keyboard and songwriting skills influenced this album and you can hear
his searing keys all the way through. It seems as if the album is a
looking glass of Jamaica in the late 1970s with a roots perspective
that could solve the world’s problems.
Williams gives praises to the Most High, which he says is the
power that created everyone and those praises are exemplified in songs
like Give Jah Praise, Valley of Jehosephat, and I Man. Slave is a
song that provides insight on truth and righteousness. While the song
Dungeon is a lament of being persecuted for herbs. Willi’s extensive
reggae resume provides the experience and insight that is evident on
these compositions.
In addition to the silky voice in the forefront of the tracks,
the musicians on the album are staples of reggae music. The players
include: on bass Fully Fullwood, Lloyd Parks, on drums Santa Davis, on
guitar Bingy Bunny, Tony Chin, on piano Jackie Mittoo, on organ Bobby
Kalphat, on horns Demo Cates, and on Percussion Bongo Gene and Bongo
Herman. They create a musical soundscape that is indeed dreader than
dread.
In accompaniment of the original tracks are the dub versions,
which were masterminded by Solgie Hamilton, Scientist, Erroll
Thompson, and Jerry Lion. Rocking Universally and Universal Dub are
awesome dubs of Armagideon Time. The rhythms are solid and the
engineers take them one step beyond to push them to another
dimension. Some of the effects simply make you ask: How did they do
that? The dubs round out Messenger Man perfectly to make it a
quintessential roots and dub album that should be in your CD player
right now. Blood & Fire has done it again, and if you know their
releases, this one definitely reaches their high standards. Give Jah
praise no matter who you are, no matter where you are going.
